Sometimes, those shows are on the Animal Planet network. That’s fitting, because that’s also where I found the answer. Well, not the network, but the website, animalplanet.com.

Victoria Stilwell, a dog trainer and star of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me Or The Dog,” answers viewers’ questions on the website. One question was why their black lab loves to lick people (as the owner of a black lab, I can tell you I’ve never met one that didn’t).

Anyway, Stilwell explained that a puppy’s mother communicates with them by licking. That’s how the mother stimulates them to start breathing and cleans them at birth.

Licking also is a sign of submissiveness in dogs toward the dominant members of the pack. Dogs also might like the salty taste of the owner’s skin, or simply because it’s a habit, Stilwell said. The most common reason for domestic dogs, though, is it’s a sign of affection.

Stilwell wrote that when dogs lick, endorphins are released that give them feelings of comfort and pleasure and relieve stress.

If you want to stop the licking, Stilwell recommends immediately leaving the room when your dogs licks you. If you’re petting your dog, stop the moment the animal licks you. If you do this enough, the dog should stop.

As for happy dogs wagging their tails, an interview on the website gives a cautionary comment: Tail wagging communicates strong emotion. That doesn’t just mean happiness, but unpleasant feelings such as anger and agitation.

The site features an interview with Beth Strickler, a veterinarian specializing in behavior solutions, who gave hints on detecting what that tail wagging means. She said:

Staff Writer Bernie Delinski writes Just Ask, which runs Wednesdays in the TimesDaily.